25 years later: Sanibel honors 9/11 victims with 'Field of Heroes' display

Sanibel Island residents are marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a moving tribute at Sanibel Community Park, featuring over 2,000 flags to honor the lives lost in 2001. "It's very personal, because I lost about six people who were close to me that day," Denise Dillon said. Dillon, who lost friends in the World Trade Center attacks, reflected on the significance of the display. "Sanibel Island knows about survival and coming together," she said. The flags, assembled by volunteers at the Sanibel Recreation Center, were planted in the park with donations from community members. Each flag carries a name, creating a powerful visual reminder of the lives lost. "You’ll come across a last name and there are 75 with the same last name. It’s so bonding," Dillon said. Sanibel Vice Mayor John Henshaw, who led OSHA on the day of the attacks, emphasized the importance of vigilance. "I'm very thankful we haven't seen a kind of terrorism that we saw on 9/11, but we've got to be vigilant," he said. Henshaw and a team from Sanibel recently climbed the stairs at the new World Trade Center in New York to raise money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports Gold Star and fallen first responder families. "It was an emotional thing, as you can imagine," Henshaw said. Team Sanibel raised nearly $70,000 for the cause this year, ranking third in the nation among participating teams. "We were third in the nation in raising money as a team. And there were many teams from all over the country. And I'm really proud of our Sanibel residents who participated," Henshaw said. City Manager Dana Souza highlighted the significance of the tribute. "It's a solemn event of remembrance, but it's one that is very important to our community, very important to our nation, to remember the people who died that day," Souza said. Dillon stressed the importance of keeping the memories alive. "We have to keep talking about it to keep the memories alive," she said. In addition to the display, the City of Sanibel will host a special remembrance event Friday morning at 8 a.m. at the Sanibel Community House. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.